VIEWPOINT A YEAR IN REVIEW
Philip Moors, Managing Director of Elevate looks back at the challenges, trends and opportunities affecting the roofing industry in 2022 and the impact for this year.
EVERYONE THAT WORKS in roofing, and the wider construction sector, has had to navigate a series of complex challenges in 2022. For many, this has required a careful balancing act with rising costs and materials shortages affecting project lead times and budgets.
Although many of these issues have been outside our industry’s control, careful planning at the beginning of 2022, combined with strong distributor partnerships, helped to limit the impact on customers’ projects. The conflict in Ukraine has caused energy costs to soar and this has forced building owners to seek new ways to reduce their bills. Across both the commercial and residential sectors, this has led to a rise in demand for solar panels which we expect to continue in the year ahead. We have also seen the popularity of green roofs increase over the past 12 months with more developers and self builders recognising the sustainability benefits that can be achieved as well as the long-term cost savings.
Insulating against risk As the energy crisis deepens, insulation is another important consideration, particularly for homeowners. This is reflected in the Government’s recent pledge to spend £6bn on home insulation.
In the year ahead, we expect more people to begin adding insulation to their existing roofs to increase warmth and cut costs. This could involve insulating the roof space or larger refurbishments comprising full roofing systems designed to offer
high levels of thermal resistance and durability.
To meet this demand, we are working with our distributors to advise building owners, contractors and specifiers on the benefits of RESISTA MG insulation for refurbishments and new builds. This product consists of a polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam core laminated on both sides to a mineral coated fibreglass facer, providing a superior thermal performance. It is suitable for adhered, ballasted and mechanically fastened single- ply roofing systems. As RESISTA MG can be supplied as part of a full roofing system, including the V-GARD air & vapour control layer (AVCL) and RubberCover EPDM waterproofing membrane, this also means installers and building owners can work with a single supplier and benefit from a consistent approach and guarantee.
Tackling labour challenges
The skills shortage continues to hamper the UK construction industry, and this is accelerating the development of roofing solutions that are quicker and easier to install. Products that can be self adhered, without the need for complex tools or many accessories, are helping to address labour challenges, rising costs and the risk of project delays. This trend led to the launch of RubberGutter in 2022, a self-adhered, synthetic EPDM rubber waterproofing membrane designed for gutter repair. To install, a release liner is simply peeled back and removed
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enabling the product to be applied directly to the prepared substrate.
Factory applied, the Secure Bond technology provides a uniform and strong adhesion across the entire membrane from edge to edge. This makes it much easier to install compared to traditional gutter lining solutions. We are developing similar technologies that will not only deliver sustainability benefits, but reduce costs and significantly reduce labour and installation times for contractors. This will result in new products launching under the Elevate brand within the next three years.
Looking up
Despite the challenges of 2022, the EPDM market has continued to grow. The material’s proven track record coupled with new innovations has kept demand strong, particularly across the residential sector.
For EPDM manufacturers, continuous improvement has also been key to success this year, including the evolution and launch of new services. At Elevate, this has seen us invest in NBS Source, to make it easier for specifiers to access product data. Furthermore, we are seeking to bolster our technical sales team ensuring we have the expertise to work more closely with contractors, specifiers and developers operating in the commercial sector.
Thanks to strong working relationships with partners, EPDM manufacturers have been able to weather the economic and political storm – and meet their customers’ changing needs. This collaborative approach will be vital in 2023 to make sure our industry can keep responding to challenges, trends and opportunities and provide customers with highly sustainable, cost effective and durable roofing solutions. BMJ
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